[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 142 (Thursday, July 24, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43719-43721]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-18872]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.299B]


Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Indian 
Education; Professional Development Program, Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Discretionary Grant Program Awards for Fiscal Year 
(FY) 2003

    Purpose of Program: The purposes of the Professional Development 
program are to (1) increase the number of qualified Indian individuals 
in professions that serve Indian people; (2) provide training to 
qualified Indian individuals to become teachers, administrators, 
teacher aides, social workers, and ancillary educational personnel; and 
(3) improve the skills of qualified Indian individuals who serve in the 
capacities described in (2). Activities may include, but are not 
limited to, continuing programs, symposia, workshops, conferences, and 
direct financial support. For FY 2003 the competition for new awards 
focuses on projects designed to meet the priority described in the 
Priority section of this application notice.
    Eligible Applicants: Eligible applicants for this program are 
institutions of higher education, including Indian institutions of 
higher education; State or local educational agencies, in consortium 
with institutions of higher education; Indian tribes or organizations, 
in consortium with institutions of higher education; and Bureau-funded 
schools. An application from a consortium of eligible entities must 
meet the requirements of 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129. The consortium 
agreement, signed by all parties, must be submitted with the 
application in order to be considered as a consortium application.

    Note: Letters of support do not meet the consortium 
requirements. The Secretary rejects any application that does not 
meet these requirements.


    Note: In order to be considered an eligible entity, applicants, 
including institutions of higher education, must be eligible to 
provide the level and type of degree proposed in the application or 
must apply in consortium with an institution of higher education 
that is eligible to grant the target degree. The Secretary rejects 
any application that fails to meet the consortium requirements 
described in this notice.

    Applications Available: July 24, 2003.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 25, 2003.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 9, 2003.
    Estimated Available Funds: $2,484,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $300,000 to $500,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $310,500.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 8.
    Project Period: 36 months.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.

    Budget Requirement: Projects funded under this competition must 
budget for a two-day Project Directors' meeting in Washington, DC 
during each year of the project.
    Maximum Annual Award Amount: in no case does the Secretary make an 
award greater than $500,000 for a single budget period of 12 months for 
the first 24 months of the award period. The last 12-month budget 
period of a 36-month award will be limited to induction services only 
at a cost not to exceed $75,000. The Secretary rejects any application 
that proposes a budget exceeding these maximum amounts.
    Page Limit: The application narrative is where an applicant 
addresses the selection criteria that are used by reviewers in 
evaluating the application. An applicant must limit the narrative to 
the equivalent of no more than 50 double-spaced pages, using the 
following standards:
    (1) A ``page'' is 8\1/2\'' x 11'' (one side only) with one-inch 
margins (top, bottom and sides).
    (2) All text in the application narrative, including titles, 
headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as 
all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs, must be double-spaced 
(no more than three lines per vertical inch).
    (3) For all text (including charts, tables, and graphs), use a font 
that is either 12-point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch 
(characters per inch).
    The page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the assurances 
and certifications; or the one-page abstract, appendices, resumes, 
bibliography, and letters of support. However, all of the application 
narrative addressing the selection criteria must be included in the 
narrative section.
    Reviewers will not read any pages of applications that--
    [sbull] Exceed the page limit if you apply these standards; or
    [sbull] Exceed the equivalent of the page limit if you apply other 
standards.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98 and 99; and (b) 34 CFR part 263.

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of 
higher education only.


[[Page 43720]]



Priorities

Absolute Priority

    Under Section 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Secretary gives an absolute 
preference to applications that meet the priority selected. The program 
regulations at 34 CFR 263.5(c) identify the absolute priorities for the 
Professional Development program that may be selected by the Secretary. 
For the FY 2003 grant competition, the Secretary reserves all of the 
funds available for new awards under the Professional Development 
program to fund only those applications that meet the following 
absolute priority found at 34 CFR 263.5(c)(1):
    Pre-Service Training for Teachers--
    Provides support and training to Indian individuals to complete a 
pre-service education program that enables these individuals to meet 
the requirements for full State certification or licensure as a teacher 
through:
    (i) Training that leads to a bachelor's degree in education before 
the end of the award period; or
    (ii) For States allowing a degree in a specific subject area, 
training that leads to a bachelor's degree in the subject area as long 
as the training meets the requirements for full State teacher 
certification or licensure; or
    (iii) Training in a current or new specialized teaching assignment 
that requires at least a bachelor's degree and in which a documented 
teacher shortage exists; and
    (iv) One-year induction services after graduation, certification, 
or licensure provided during the award period to graduates of the pre-
service program while they are completing their first year of work in 
schools with significant Indian student populations.

    Note: In working with various institutions of higher education 
and State certification/licensure requirements, we found that States 
requiring a degree in a specific subject area (e.g., specialty areas 
or teaching at the secondary level) generally require a Master's 
degree or fifth-year requirement before an individual can be 
certified or licensed as a teacher. These students would be eligible 
to participate so long as their training meets the requirements for 
full State certification or licensure as a teacher.

Competitive Preference

    (1) The Secretary will award five (5) additional points to an 
application submitted by an Indian tribe, organization, or institution 
of higher education. A consortium application of eligible entities that 
meets the requirements of 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129 and includes an 
Indian tribe, organization or institution of higher education will be 
considered eligible to receive the five (5) additional priority points. 
The consortium agreement, signed by all parties, must be submitted with 
the application in order to be considered a consortium application.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7473.)

    (2) The Secretary will award a total of five additional points to 
an application submitted by a consortium of eligible applicants that 
includes a tribal college or university and that designates that tribal 
college or university as the fiscal agent for the application. The 
consortium application of eligible entities must meet the requirements 
of 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129 of EDGAR to be considered eligible to 
receive the five priority points. The consortium agreement, signed by 
all parties, must be submitted with the application in order to be 
considered a consortium application.

    Note: Letters of support do not meet the consortium 
requirements. The Secretary rejects any application that does not 
meet these requirements.

    These competitive preference points are in addition to the five 
competitive preference points that may be given under Competitive 
Preference 1.
    Tribal colleges and universities are those institutions cited in 
section 532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 
(7 U.S.C. 301 note), any other institution that qualifies for funding 
under the Tribally Controlled College or University Assistance Act of 
1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), and Dine College, authorized in the 
Navajo Community College Assistance Act of 1978, Public Law 95-471, 
Title II (25 U.S.C. 640a note).

Selection Criteria

    The selection criteria are included in full in the application 
package for this competition. These selection criteria are established 
in 34 CFR 263.6. Under the selection criteria ``Quality of project 
services'' and ``Quality of the project evaluation,'' the Secretary 
considers the extent to which the applicant demonstrates a strong 
capacity to provide reliable data on these indicators and to help 
achieve the program target.
    Performance Measure: The Secretary has established the following 
key performance measure for assessing the effectiveness of the 
Professional Development program: To increase the percentages of the 
teacher and principal workforces serving American Indian and Alaska 
Native students who are themselves American Indian and Alaska Native. 
The program target is to increase the percentage of American Indian and 
Alaska Native principals and teachers in public schools with 25 percent 
or more American Indian and Alaska Native students.
    Fiscal Information: Stipends may be paid only to full-time 
students. For the payment of stipends to project participants being 
trained, the Secretary expects to set the stipend maximum at $1,775 per 
month for full-time students and $275 allowance per month per dependent 
during an academic term. The terms ``stipend,'' ``full-time student,'' 
and ``dependent allowance'' are defined in 34 CFR 263.3.
    Application Procedures:

    Note: Some of the procedures in these instructions for 
transmitting applications differ from those in the Education 
Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) (34 CFR 
75.102). Under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the 
Department generally offers interested parties the opportunity to 
comment on proposed regulations. However, these amendments make 
procedural changes only and do not establish new substantive policy. 
Therefore, under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A), the Secretary has determined 
that proposed rulemaking is not required.

Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications

    In FY 2003, the U.S. Department of Education is continuing to 
expand its pilot project of electronic submission of applications to 
include additional formula grant programs and additional discretionary 
grant competitions. The Professional Development program, CFDA 84.299B, 
is one of the programs included in the pilot project. If you are an 
applicant under the Professional Development program, you may submit 
your application to us in either electronic or paper format.
    The pilot project involves the use of the Electronic Grant 
Application System (e-Application) portion of the Grant Administration 
and Payment System (GAPS). Users of e-Application will be entering data 
on-line while completing their applications. You may not e-mail a soft 
copy of a grant application to us. If you participate in this voluntary 
pilot project by submitting an application electronically, the data you 
enter on-line will be saved into a database. We request your 
participation in e-Application. We shall continue to evaluate its 
success and solicit suggestions for improvement.
    If you participate in e-APPLICATION, please note the following:
    [sbull] Your participation is voluntary.
    [sbull] You will not receive any additional point value or penalty 
because you submit a grant application in electronic format, nor will 
we penalize you if you submit an application in paper format.

[[Page 43721]]

When you enter the e-Application system, you will find information 
about its hours of operation.
    [sbull] You may submit all documents electronically, including the 
Application for Federal Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and 
certifications.
    [sbull] After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgement, which will include a PR/Award 
number (an identifying number unique to your application).
    [sbull] Within three working days after submitting your electronic 
application, fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal 
Assistance (ED 424) to the Application Control Center after following 
these steps:
    (1) Print the ED 424 form from the e-Application system.
    (2) The institution's Authorizing Representative must sign this 
form.
    (3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the 
hard copy signature page of the ED 424.
    (4) Fax the signed ED 424 to the Application Control Center at 
(202) 260-1349.
    [sbull] We may request that you give us original signatures on all 
other forms at a later date.
    [sbull] Closing Date Extension in Case of System Unavailability:
    If you elect to participate in the e-Application pilot for the 
Professional Development program and you are prevented from submitting 
your application on the closing date because the e-Application system 
is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of one business day in 
order to transmit your application electronically, by mail, or by hand 
delivery. For us to grant this extension--
    (1) You must be a registered user of e-Application, and have 
initiated an e-Application for this competition; and
    (2)(a) The e-Application system must be unavailable for 60 minutes 
or more between the hours of 8:30 and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
on the deadline date; or
    (b) The e-Application system must be unavailable for any period of 
time during the last hour of operation (that is, for any period of time 
between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time) on the deadline date.
    The Department must acknowledge and confirm these periods of 
unavailability before granting you an extension. To request an 
extension you must contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in 
this notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT or (2) the e-GRANTS 
help desk at 1-888-336-8930.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the 
Professional Development program at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    We have included additional information about the e-Application 
pilot project (see Parity Guidelines between Paper and Electronic 
Applications) in the application package.
    For Applications Contact: Education Publications Center (ED Pubs), 
P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll free): 1-877-433-
7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a telecommunications device for 
the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free): 1-877-576-7734. You may also 
contact ED Pubs via its Web site (http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html) 
or its E-mail address ([email protected]). If you request an 
application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this competition as 
follows: CFDA number 84.299B.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative format by contacting the Grants and Contracts Services 
Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 
3317, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 
205-8351. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf 
(TDD), may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-
877-8339. However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an 
alternate format the standard forms included in the application 
package.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cathie Martin, Office of Indian 
Education, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 
3W115, Washington, DC 20202-6335. Telephone: (202) 260-3774. Internet 
address: [email protected].
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding 
paragraph.

Electronic Access to This Document

    You may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe 
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site: 
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister.
    To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. 
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in 
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.
    You may also view this document at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/oie/index.html.

    Note: The official version of this document is published in the 
Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of 
the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations is 
available on GPO Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html.


    Program Authority:  20 U.S.C. 7442.

    Dated: July 21, 2003.
Eugene Hickok,
Under Secretary of Education.
[FR Doc. 03-18872 Filed 7-23-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P